Kennesaw State University Removes Restrictive
'Speech Zones' for Pro-Life Student Group

Contact:
Alliance Defending Freedom Media Relations, 480-444–0020

INDIAN
TRAIL, N.C., Oct. 22, 2018 /Christian
Newswire/ -- Through a lawsuit last February, the Kennesaw State
University chapter of Ratio Christi
Campus Apologetics Alliance has prompted KSU to change its "speech
zones" policies. On several occasions, KSU had relegated Ratio Christi's
pro-life displays to be presented in a "speech zone" that made up less than
0.08 percent of the 405-acre campus, stating the subject was
"controversial," and denying the use of other available space on campus.

School
administrators had told the group's students that they could only use the
space they originally requested if the posters displaying the pro-life
message were removed from the presentation. The university had often allowed
student groups with other messages to use any space available on campus for
presentations and to pass out materials.

Ratio
Christi Campus Apologetics Alliance has nearly 200 chapters at colleges and
universities in the U.S and abroad. These chapters -- many of which meet
weekly -- provide a friendly venue for atheists, skeptics, and adherents to
any religion to investigate the claims of Christianity, discuss religious
beliefs, and seek truth without fearing reprisal. Ratio Christi's mission is
to equip students and faculty to give historical, philosophical, and
scientific evidence for following Jesus Christ. The organization also has an
apologetics outreach to high school students.

Today,
the KSU chapter of Ratio Christi and the University finalized a settlement
agreement that will bring the case to a close. In this agreement, KSU has
agreed to update two policies, eliminating the speech zone and making it
easier for students to hold spontaneous activities on campus. In the
settlement, the school also agreed to pay $20,100 to the Ratio Christi
chapter for attorney fees and damages.

"Public universities are supposed to be the marketplace of ideas, where all
ideas are welcome, not just those that university officials consider
acceptable. Kennesaw State has done the right thing in ending the ability of
officials to quarantine any student speech they deemed 'controversial' to a
tiny, difficult-to-access part of campus. We hope that this settlement will
prompt other public universities to eliminate similar unconstitutional
policies. The First Amendment prohibits universities from restricting where
students can speak, whether that restriction is based on what students
intend to say or simply based on sparing the feelings of others who may
disagree."

Ratio
Christi is currently engaged in legal proceedings regarding religious
liberty in universities across the United States. The President and CEO of
Ratio Christi, Dr. Corey Miller, has previously stated: "In today's academic
environment, Christian students and educators must not only defend our
faith, but we must also defend our right to defend our faith."

Media
representatives interested in more information about the settled case of
Ratio Christi of Kennesaw State University v. Olens can contact ADF
Media Relations at (480) 444–0020 or
ADFmedia.org.

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